I Dare You
by Mojo The Monkey
Summary: Updated: July 2 What happens as a member of SOLDIER when you're put up to a dare? Cadet Cloud Strife is about to find out...Future Yaoi warning (CloudxSeph, possibly others)
1. I Dare You

Wow. Just…wow. It's been well over a year since I even READ this story. I forgot how much people wanted to see it done. So, the other day, I was doing a puzzle on my computer of a cover to a CloudxSeph doujin, and thought 'I need to get back to writing about them again.' Then it hit me that I HAVE stories about them, and decided I should revisit. Well, now that I am, I'm updating all of the chapters before writing new ones. Well, I've matured a lot in the last year, thank you so very much. But enough of my prattling. On to the story!

Disclaimer: Blah blah blah copyright-cakes blah blah blah don't own them blah blah blah something about Squaresoft…

* * *

Hushed whispers permeated the air of a boys' dorm on the second floor hallway of the building, third door on the left. The voices sounded impatient, as if an argument was threatening to boil forth if one or the other didn't just stop talking. With a muttered curse, it finally escalated into distinguishable words.

"He's not going to do it." Murmured the first voice, deep and obviously filled with amusement.

"He has to. Cloud, wake up." Answered the second one, most assuredly _not_ amused. In fact, it was really rather impatient with the whole thing.

"I'm telling you, he's not going to do it." Again, the first voice, now trying to stifle laughter.

"Shut up, Alan. _I'm_ telling you he has to."

This was followed by a muffled 'ow' and Alan closed his mouth, letting the other young man continue trying to wake the golden-haired recruit sleeping soundly. His own red hair flopped into his eyes and he pushed back the soft tendrils with a practiced swipe of his hand. He glared down at his other roommate, Zack, whose back was currently turned toward him. Alan leaned forward and hissed into Zack's ear, "He's not going to."

Zack rose slowly, cracking his neck as he did so. "He will. We just have to wake him up first." Which was certainly becoming a task in and of itself. Talk about a person who slept like the living dead. With a soft sight, he cracked his knuckles and began jabbing Cloud hard in the shoulder. This didn't quite have the affect he had hoped it would, as all it made the cadet do was roll over with a snort.

Well, e couldn't be having any of that. Zack looked the sleeping boy over for a moment before grabbing a hold of Cloud's blankets and yanking them off in one fell swipe. Cloud immediately curled into a ball, squeezing his eyes shut, and started groping for the covers. When realization hit through Cloud's foggy, sleep-filled mind that there weren't any blankets on the bed, he opened his eyes slowly and groaned when the first thing he saw was raven hair. "Jesus Christ, Zack. Go away and let me sleep. It's not even dawn. This is cruel and unusual punishment. You know this, right?"

Zack went to the other side of the bed with a smirk on his face. "Come on, sunshine." He took hold of the mattress and lifted it, causing the blonde to tumble out onto the ground. "Get dressed. We have a task for you. And, no, it's not guarding the doorway so we can sneak over to the girls' school, either."

Cloud rose slowly, rubbing his hip where he had landed. That had really hurt, damnit. And now he was probably going to have a bruise on his hip. Thanks. "Yeah? What is it, then?"

Zack's smirk grew even wider, if possible. Cloud could almost hear the evil cackle emanating from the older boy. "We want you to tell General Sephiroth that you have the hots for him."

Cloud blinked slowly, an incredulous look settling itself upon his face. Well, now. THAT certainly served to wake the sleepy blonde up. He licked his lips again and gazed steadily at him. Alan, in the mean time, was having a hearty laugh into his pillow. "You care to run that one by me just _one_ more time?"

Zack grinned and cleared his throat, arms swinging back and forth merrily. Eyes were sparkling bright by this point, and that wasn't just the mako showing, either. "I said that we want you to tell the General that you think he's the most doable creature on the face of this Planet. Or something along those lines. You're free to ad lib, just so long as it gets the message across."

The cadet remained staring at him, all the more dumbfounded and ill at ease. This wasn't happening, right? This couldn't have been happening. Not…urgh. "And what makes you think I'll do it?"

Alan started laughing harder at this point, and all this served to do was increase the size of Zack's grin. "Why, Cloud my boy, I have just three words for you. I dare you."


	2. Making Plans

Why the hell did he have to dare me? was a constant thought on Cloud's mind. He sat at a table in the cafeteria, alone, pondering and poking at the food in front of him. Food, of course, being a loose term. He could have sworn that he saw this particular gray blob living under his bed two weeks ago.

In the SOLDIER army, a dare was a binding contract, whether you agreed to do it or not. The larger the gap in rank between the one who made the dare and the one who received, the steeper the punishment if it's not completed. Of course, no one has been brave enough to not go through with one, so no one knew exactly what these "punishments" were. Not to mention no one had enough guts to be the first.

There were a few stipulations that always went along with every dare, as well. The first rule being that dares could only be made between people of the same rank, or of one from higher to lower. Never could a lower class member dare an older one. The second rule was that the dare-ee could not be helped by the darer. This was an immediate breach of contract, and the dare was tossed out the window. Third, dares were to be kept secret. Only those present at the time of the dare being made could know of its existence. Only when the dare was completed (or failed, as the case may be), could it be known that it existed at all.

As a mere recruit, receiving a dare from a 1st Class, let alone two, was like receiving a dare from the General himself (whom, it was known, had never given out a dare). Cloud sat, hunkered over his lunch, face low over the gruel passed off as food. He may have been only a recruit, but everyone still knew to leave him alone. After he broke someone's nose his first month there, they didn't even bother anymore. The only person who never seemed to get this was Zack. Often times, Cloud was embarrassed by the older man's doting.

Cloud's mind flitted from these thoughts to the stipulations surrounding the dare. _"Since this dare is pretty rough, you have a month to complete it. After you tell him, if no one was present to bear witness, you have one week to get us proof. In essence, you have five weeks to prove to us that you completed the dare."_ Cloud heaved a loud, audible sigh, and pulled himself up from the table. Turning, he slowly made his way out of the cafeteria, quietly and with barely any notice.

* * *

Cloud was back in his room, studying his calendar. In two weeks was the Graduation Gala. This was the yearly dance that honored not only the male recruits who had graduated to 5th Class SOLDIER, but also the girls in the nearby academy that had graduated. It was the one time of the year the sexes got to mix freely. Cloud was lucky enough to be among this number after three years at the training center. He circled and starred the date, deciding to choose that as The Day. With the Gala being two weeks away, that gave Cloud a three week lee-way to prove that he'd accomplished the task set before him.

He stood next to his bed, staring at the calendar in concentration, when Zack came bursting in through the doorway. He was acting like he had when he discovered that the grate in the inner courtyard led to the girls' school. "Cloud! Man, I'm glad I finally found you! Look, I've got an arrangement planned between you 'n the General. All you have to do is…"

Cloud turned around slowly, arching an eyebrow as he gazed at the over-excited SOLDIER. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Zack. Calm down. Part of a dare is the dare-ee has to do it by himself. Right?"

Zack wilted a bit, his shoulders slumping forward. "…Uh huh."

"And I'm all ready starting to try and figure this thing out on my own. I don't want to have to be rushed into this." He crossed his arms casually over his chest, pursing his lips slightly. He hadn't _really_ figured anything out, just the date. But he was trying to put on an air of confidence, hoping it'd rub off.

"But…" Began Zack's half-hearted protest.

"Quiet. Seriously, I'm trying to do this myself. Got that? As soon as you start helping me, I get to call the dare off. That's never happened before. Do _you_ want to be known as the first person to have his dare called off?" Of course not. Zack was daring, but he wasn't _stupid._

"Well…no…" More wilting. He actually looked wounded by the prospect.

"Good. Then go away and leave me alone." This was a bit of a snippy tone, but he couldn't deal with the black haired SOLDIER at the moment.

Zack nodded slightly and began to shuffle toward the door. He paused, raising his hand to the doorknob, before turning back. "But, seriously, if you would just…" A glare from the blond silenced him immediately and he sighed softly. "All right, all right. I'm going." Turning the knob, he opened the door and exited, disappearing down the hallway.

Cloud turned once again to stare at the calendar, letting out an undeniably frustrated groan. At the Gala, all graduates and officers had to be in attendance: this included the General. Granted, Sephiroth didn't like showing up to these things. Who could blame him, though, really? All he ever had were fawning boys and girls clinging to his every movement, wide, almost unblinking eyes gazing at him as if he were God Himself. The Gala was the last place he wanted to be, but protocol demanded his appearance. Cloud nodded to himself slightly. All he had to do was get Sephiroth alone. Well, maybe not fully alone. He had to have a witness there. The easiest person, to be certain, would be Zack. Despite the fact that the dark haired first class was Sephiroth's character foil, they really were pretty damn good friends. But getting just the two of them away from the writhing masses? _That_ was going to prove to be the really tricky part.

Not to mention the whole threat of losing his head over it, but c'est la vie and all that. It was well known that anyone who openly showed interest in the General was quick to regret their actions. One unfortunate female, after drunkenly hitting on him at the previous year's Gala, had found herself missing a little finger. The year before that, a young man's ear had mysteriously been sliced off before he could blink. So, no. The prospect of informing the General that he thought he was the most shag-able creature on the face of the planet was not a pleasing one.

Never you mind the fact that Cloud actually _felt_ that way.

Sighing softly, he turned from the calendar and threw himself onto his cot of a bed, burying his face under the pillow. Facing the next two weeks was going to be hell, to be certain.


	3. Taking Notice

Jeebus. A chapter and a prologue and already people are loving it again. Oy!

Neo: I actually had 3 chapters before, plus the prologue. So I have one more to edit before I can continue on. And believe me when I say that these are already about twice the length as the original chapters.

ShadowCatLeader: Well, the only people he can dare are other cadets. Such are the rules.  
Ardwynna Morrigu: Guess I should mention that that's a "for now" rating, eh?

TheHomicidalManiac777: Heh, thanks! I love writing it.

Get mentioned in my chapters. Send me a review!

* * *

Over the training grounds, the timely call of whistles sounded and echoed off the concrete walls. The yells of the instructors and groans of the recruits mixed with the sounds and, adding in the summer heat, no one wanted to be there. Already that day a few kids had passed out from sheer exhaustion. At the very least, those who conked out had forced the instructors to make the recruits take regular breaks in which they doused themselves with water. The only thing people were really concentrating on was the Gala, now only a week away.

Zack finally figured out that was The Day--kind of hard not to when it was circled and starred in bright red on the calendar--and had been teasing Cloud about it since. Just little things dropped here and there to make the younger cadet squirm. On more than one occasion, he'd say, "So, Cloud? Are you going to ask the General to dance? Can't you just imagine it? Soft music playing, you ask him to dance, he'd graciously accept…The two of you would almost literally _glide_ to the center of the dance floor, which would clear of all dancers. Then the two of you would share a dance in the spotlight. Maybe you'd even get a soft kiss when it was over with."

Needless to say, this little scenario would always set Cloud to blushing. He could hit Zack at times like that. Actually, the first time he did it, the black haired SOLDIER had ended up with a bruise on his shoulder. Didn't exactly stop him from doing it again, though.

Sephiroth was up in his office, glaring in contempt down at the training recruits. Sniveling idiots. Hangers on. All they cared about was getting a mere glimpse of him. There were people better suited for all of this adoration. He couldn't stand it one bit. In fact, he rather hated the whole thing. Couldn't see what was so special about him, anyway. He was cold, cruel, and ruthless in all his dealings.

His eyes scanned the group of cookie-cutter wannabes. The emerald trailed from one boy to another before they locked on the most unique one in the group. What Sephiroth looked down upon now was the brightest gold hair his eyes had ever laid upon. He couldn't quite figure out why he'd never noticed this one before. Shimmering locks that seemed to absorb the sun rather than reflect it, he frowned slightly. It wasn't often that his interest was piqued like this, and he was angry at the fact he couldn't figure out why. He was pondering this when he heard, more than felt, someone enter the room. He figured it was Zack with the way the person came in further instead of cowering in the doorway.

Without turning from the window, his deep baritone voice over to the doorway. "Who is that recruit, Zack?"

Zack made his way over and looked out. All he saw was a mass of people. Yes, that certainly helped to narrow down the field as to whom the General was referring. "Which one?"

A soft sigh to his left. "The one with the spiky blond hair."

Zack's eyes immediately landed on Cloud, and a wide grin spread across his face. It wasn't often that Sephiroth asked about a recruit. Lucky, lucky, the one he asked about happened to be the one he dared. Quaint. "Cloud Strife, General. One of my roommates. He'll be graduating next week."

"Strife, hmm?" Sephiroth gazed out the window in contemplation when, as if he had heard them say his name, Cloud turned during one of the allotted water breaks and looked up at the General's tinted windows. Strikingly azure eyes caught the sun and sparkled brightly, hauntingly beautiful. Sephiroth was glad for the cover of the windows, or he would have been spellbound. There was a lost innocence to those eyes. Signs of hardships endured and lived. His breath caught in his throat and he quickly turned from the windows, for the first time in his life almost embarrassed.

Zack noticed, however, and he did his best to conceal the cocky grin that was quickly appearing. It was rather hard to do, though, considering whom it was. Cocky seemed to be his middle name. He turned and watched Sephiroth return to the confines of his office, sitting behind his large metal desk and bury himself beneath paperwork. Plans from Shin-RA for various attacks and what have you. Zack sauntered over and sat on the man's desk, much to Sephiroth's chagrin. He gazed down at the desk and lifted a little silver ball before letting it swing back to hit another. Clack-clack-clack-clack. "Ahem, so…why were you asking about Cloud? He's something to look at, isn't he?"

Sephiroth tensed slightly but didn't move his head up from the paperwork he was looking over. A hand did come up, however, to reach out and stop the infernal clacking. A muscle in his jaw twitched slightly as his eyes flickered up for a moment, flaring slightly. "If you'd kindly remove yourself from my desk so I could get some work done, it'd be greatly appreciated." His head lowered back to the parchments in front of him once more, muttering quietly.

Zack hopped back off the desk and returned to the window. He'd completely forgotten what he had come into the office for in the first place. The recruits were back at training now, the sweat glistening off of several bodies. There were only one or two boys that hadn't removed their shirts during the break, succumbing to the blistering heat, and Cloud was most assuredly not among them. Zack's mouth formed a little "oh" as he watched his roommate practice. "Even better without a shirt." He laughed lightly and turned from the window, to find Sephiroth tightly gripping the pen in his hand. "Um…I think I'll just leave now. Can't remember what I came in here for, anyway. Have fun with the paperwork!" He slipped out of the room before Sephiroth could throw the pen at him. Even after he finally slid out, he could hear it clatter against the door and fall to the ground. Zack walked away from Sephiroth's office, humming softly to himself and practically skipping back to his dorm. He had good news for a certain dorm mate.

* * *

Zack laid sprawled out on his bed, gazing up at the ceiling and running his earlier conversation with the General through his head. The way his friend's breath had caught in his throat upon seeing those eyes that rivaled the sky in color. A goofy grin spread across his face at this train of thought and he went back to absently tossing a ball into the air and catching it. _Come on, Cloud. Training let out ten minutes ago. Where the hell are you?_

On cue, the door popped open, and in strolled the blond haired cadet of his thoughts. Cloud tossed himself onto his bed and groaned as his muscles began fighting back. "I just want to take a shower and sleep for the rest of the day." he murmured this into his pillow before turning his head to the side and gazing at Zack, rather suspiciously. "What are you doing here? Don't you have some newbies to scare witless?"

Snickering, the other sat up and swung his legs over to rest his feet on the floor. He stood slowly and stretched as he meandered over to where Cloud laid. Wary blue eyes watched the black haired SOLDIER approach and he grimaced when he felt a weight settle on his hips. "Aw, is ickle wittle Cloudy all sore?" He snickered quietly before putting his hands against Cloud's bare back. He began kneading out the knots in his muscles and was awarded with an unwarranted moan, accompanied by a small wiggle.

"What do you--ow!--want now, Zack?" Cloud asked quietly, his head now buried in his arms. Zack never did this unless he either wanted something or had news that only he found fun and interesting. Zack pressed his palm into the knot at the base of the younger boy's neck before snickering quietly.

"I had a little chat with the General today." He answered in a rather _too_ conversational voice. Cloud's head lifted slightly before lowering quickly.

"O--ooh?" That spot felt good. Do that again. Yay, he did it again.

"I most certainly did. Walked into the office, and he was standing at the window, watching you guys train." He paused for a moment, snickering. "He wanted to know who you were." The same time he said this, he dug his elbow into Cloud's back.

"OW! Shit, damnit, that fu---wait, he wanted to know who I was?" The pain from an elbow digging into his back was quickly forgotten at this point as he turned swiftly, causing Zack to topple off of him and onto the floor. The older boy stood back up swiftly and grinned, dusting himself off.

"That he did." A smug grin spread across his face as he tilted his head to the side, peering at him. "Aren't you the lucky duck? Usually he only asks about a recruit so he can recommend their dismissal." At the wide-eyed look on Cloud's face, Zack raised his hands and shook them quickly. "Not you, though. Trust me on this one. He's not looking to dismiss you."

Still, the paranoid look remained on his face. "But how do you know that? I mean, what if he--"

Zack cut him off with a shake of his head. "I can read him, Cloud. You're just going to have to trust me." He bounded from the room before an answer could be received, leaving Cloud to stare after him, struck dumb.

When his voice finally found him again, he managed to croak out a "_Trust **him**?_" before collapsing back against the bed with a whimper.


	4. Emerald Angel

Ardwynna Morrigu: See? It's already changed to PG. =snicker=  
Dopehatanima: That's what happens when you spell a word right but it's the wrong one. I should find myself a beta.  
Spiffiness: I'm getting there!

_You know the drill. 1 Review = 1 Mention!_

A/N: This chapter gets me all caught up to where the story was before I quit writing it. That means all new material from here on out! Woo!

* * *

Five days left. That's all there were. Five days left. Not even a full week. Nothing. Just five days. The boys who were graduating laid down their swords to go to the most grueling practice of all…they were going to learn how to dance. Put a sharp, pointy instrument of possible destruction in a boy's hand and he'll start hacking at everything in sight with incredible ease. Tell him he's going to learn how to waltz or do the fox trot, however, and he'll start to sweat and generally become a clumsy git.

The boys were all herded into a large ballroom and stood opposite a group of 1st Class, laughing and making jokes. There were only twenty graduating, so the same number was standing across from them. The hall itself, the very one they would be graduating it, could hold up to three hundred people comfortably. There wasn't much to it at the current moment, but decorated, it would rival the private ballroom of the Shin-RA corporation itself. A domed ceiling arced high above the heads of recruits and SOLIDER alike, and it was only when the room was fully lit could you actually see the top.

Amongst the SOLDIER gathered was Zack himself. Loud laughter sounded from the knot of students around him, and there was no doubt he had regaled yet another _fabulous_ story or equally inane joke. If he kept this up, there would come a day that Zack's popularity amongst the troops could rival the General's own. At least he actually chatted with others, even those who were below him. When the laughter died, his head came up and he snickered quietly. Immediately ran over and grabbed Cloud, clutching his hand and pressing it into the air.. "I call him!" Boos and hisses followed, accompanied by Zack's boisterous laughter.

Cloud looked at him in horror, confusion, and embarrassment. A red flush, darker than the skin of a cherry, immediately enveloped his face. This was positively horrendous. Eyes on both sides of the ballroom were on him; amusement in the eyes of the SOLDIER in attendance, confusion in the cadets'. He dropped his voice to talk confidentially to Zack, a slight, uncertain waver in it as he did so. "What in blazes are you talking about?"

The grin on the older man's face grew wider. This was all just too rich. Far, far too rich. "Why, Cloud. Don't you want to be my dance partner?" He put on a mocking hurt face and made a show of sniffing quietly. "Oh, Cloud! Why must you break my heart so? All I wish from you is to dance the dance of one in love!"

"Will you _shut up?!_" Cloud's voice cracked as he said this, and any conversations that had restarted around them stopped once more. With an undignified 'eep,' he quickly ducked behind a pillar. Zack was about to follow him, no doubt to increase his embarrassment, when a voice echoed around them and saved him from such a fate.

"Good morning, gentlemen." The owner of the voice finally appeared, belonging to the Turk, Reno. He stood on a balcony above them, microphone in hand. "In just two days time, you recruits will join the ranks of SOLDIER 5th Class. From that point on, you will be eligible for out-of-city assignments. Not to mention the fact that you will have the privilege of being able to take weekend trips into Midgard." This statement was followed by loud cheers before being silenced by Reno's raised hand. "You have one more task before graduation, however, and it will be the most dangerous mission you undertake. You need to learn how to dance."

A stunned silence followed, broken by abrupt laughter from the SOLDIER elite. Cloud looked at Zack in bewilderment, especially when he was grabbed by the arm and dragged onto the dance floor. "Zack, what are you…let go…I don't…gods be damned!" Looking around, Cloud noticed the rest of the grads in similar predicaments, all of them trying to get away.

Reno's voice called out once again. "All right, SOLDIER 1st Class. Let's teach these children how to dance!" The sounds of a waltz poured into the room, echoed by a chorus of groans.

* * *

After a few hours of dancing (which went fairly well…there was only one broken toe), the graduates were again herded into another room, this time to be fitted for their outfits. Classic tuxedos with gold trimming on the lapels, to signify who was graduate from those were there merely to congratulate them. Cloud stood patiently, arms opened wide, as he was measured. It was dreadfully uncomfortable, having to stay in the same position for that long. He began fidgeting a bit and was smacked in the thigh by the tailor. The man stopped when he was done, looking up at Cloud oddly. "You know, you are nearly the same size as the General when he graduated. A little shorter, and not as broad in the shoulders, but it's pretty close to an exact fit."

Commotion ceased as everyone stared at Cloud, who looked almost horrified. The tailor leaned back on his legs, scratching his head in puzzlement. "Isn't that just the damnedest thing?"

Cloud stepped off the pedestal he had been standing on and retrieved his clothes. Dressing quickly, he slipped out of the room while the rest of the grads got measured. He stood in the hallway, gulping a deep breath of air, leaning heavily against the wall. He closed his eyes and slipped to the floor, his arms resting on his bent knees. His head came back to lean against the wall behind him and he opened his eyes once more, staring blankly up at the ceiling. They narrowed slightly, in something that could almost be considered a scowl, if it weren't for the exasperation, and he seemed to be glaring a hole straight through the ceiling. "You _are_ a vengeful God, aren't you?"

"You know, some people think when you're talking to a ceiling, that you might be crazy." The silken voice that sounded like the sweetest, thickest honey reached his ears and caused an involuntary shudder to race through the blonde's body. Silver hair fell into Cloud's line of vision, his sapphire eyes widening quickly. There was only one person that belonged to hair that perfect. He rose to his feet as fast as possible, while trying to retain some semblance of dignity, coming to attention.

"General, sir…"

Sephiroth waved a hand slightly, looking annoyed. "At ease, cadet." He eyed the young blonde critically, his eyes roving over the body at a leisurely pace. He finally stopped when he rested back on the face. "It's my understanding that you shall be graduating this year. Congratulations. The road is going to be harder from this point out." His crystalline emerald eyes scanned Cloud once more before he turned, stalking back into the shadows of the hallway.

Cloud stared dumbly at the spot where Sephiroth had stood. That was the first encounter he'd ever actually had with the General, and it left him more than a little uncomfortable, in more ways than one. All he could see now were those jade eyes as they scanned over his body, almost like Sephiroth were sizing him up as an equal. That wasn't possible, but it _did_ manage to give Cloud a giddy little thrill that ripped all the way up and down his spine. Shivering, he slowly slunk back down to the ground, gazing upward. "But I'll be damned if that man doesn't have the most brilliant eyes…"

* * *

He was back in his dorm, gazing at the ceiling and still reeling from his brief encounter when Zack entered the room. He paused just inside the doorway and eyed Cloud critically, raising a slow brow. "Jesus, Cloud. You look like you had a vision from an angel." He snickered quietly and began winding his way through the mess that was their dorm and over to his own bed when the other's reply almost startled him.

"Not _from_ an angel, Zack. _Of_ an angel." The reverent tone in his voice caused Zack to pause in what he was doing and turn back around once more. This certainly wasn't the blushing and stumbling cadet he'd left in the ballroom.

Zack approached the bed slowly and leaned his head to the side as he peered at him. So he had a vision _of_ an angel? Well, there wasn't exactly a large amount of people around here that it could be said of them that they look like an angel, so he was automatically drawn to the only plausible conclusion. "You have a run-in with the General, eh?"

The blush that came to the young blonde's face was the only answer he needed to inform him that, yes, that was in fact what had happened. A satisfied grin on his own face, he whistled and departed, leaving Cloud to try and recollect himself and pick his drooling jaw up off the floor.


End file.
